The golden rules for good nutrition

During the first weeks of adjusting to a healthy eating plan, your willpower will probably be pushed to the limit. Described below are some golden rules to help keep you on track.

• One very useful tactic is to keep a food diary. For the first week, make a record of every item of food and drink that you consume, at what time and how you feel.
• The diary will enable you to review your choices and take stock of what prompts you to eat.
• You need to learn how to distinguish between true biological hunger — the sign of a healthy appetite — and false alarms, when you feel the urge to eat because you are bored or stressed.

• Scheduling breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks in the same way that you schedule other daily appointments can help to prevent overeating, so take your meals at regular, set times.
• Eating small amounts often improves appetite control, reduces hunger and avoids the blood-sugar swings that can induce you to eat more.
• In one study, men who increased their frequency of eating consumed up to 27 per cent fewer calories.
• Instead of three large meals, try to build five or six small portions of healthy foods into your daily routine.

• Whenever you reach for a snack, think about why you are doing it. Because the food's there? Because you feel upset or tired?
• Eating can be an emotional reaction, and once you understand why you crave a sugary doughnut or cookie, you may find it easier to resist.
• It's also worth keeping healthy snacks at hand so you can satisfy momentary hunger without upsetting your general diet.
• Choose snacks that add nutrients and keep you feeling full, such as fruit or cut-up vegetables — keep a stock of chopped carrots and broccoli in the fridge.

• Many of us have gotten used to eating far more than we need. One reason is that average portion sizes of restaurant and fast-food meals, pastries and other prepared foods have increased dramatically over the last two decades.
• Some have nearly doubled in size, even in restaurants. We tend to serve more at home too — portions are now up to eight times as large as those recommended.
• Try serving food on smaller plates.
• This can cut the amount of food eaten by as much as 25 per cent, according to psychologists at Cornell University.
• Other studies reveal that people consume 34 per cent fewer liquid calories when they drink out of tall, skinny glasses instead of short, stubby ones.

• Cut your portion sizes by around 10 per cent. When you get used to the smaller size, reduce portions by another 10 per cent.

• Use slightly less butter and slightly less cooking oil. Consider switching to a low-fat margarine.

• If you tend to splurge on snack foods such as cookies, buy individually wrapped items. Having to open each packet in turn will discourage you from overindulging.

• Bake, steam or grill food instead of frying it.

• Have one meal each day that excludes starchy carbohydrates (no rice, potatoes, pasta or bread). Try a lean chicken breast with salad or two portions of different vegetables, for example.

• Trim all visible fat from meat and remove the skin from poultry.

• Replace sugary breakfast cereal with a slice of whole wheat toast and a piece of fruit.

• When eating out in restaurants, choose tomato-based sauces rather than creamy ones.